See Me Soar, Hear Me Roar

Last summer I had the privilege of riding with the amazing Pat Jacques of ADVWoman.com, on parts of the Colorado Backcountry Discovery Route. The ride was sponsored in part by WomenRidersNow and SeeMeBeauty.

As part of this trip, I was honored to be chosen as part of a series of short videos that WRN and SMB put together about our journeys. This was one of the most transformative two wheel journeys of my life, having very little offroad riding experience. I feel lucky as ever to have ridden with all of these women and learned so much from my coaches and fellow riders. I hope you enjoy this video as much as I was to be a part of it:

Related Posts:

• DC Dirt Camp

• Getting Dirty, Moving to Denver

Getting Dirty and Moving to Denver

Me, at my MSF Dirtbike class down at King George VA, Memorial Day Weekend

Me and Pat in Jan 2020

I promise, I’ll get to the Denver part in a minute.

But first, just wanted to say that it’s been an even crazier year and I was working way too much these past couple of months.

I’m happy to say that I finally came out from under it and was able to take a whopping 3 days off on Memorial Day Weekend to go take some dirt and adv classes with DC Dirt Camp. I wrote a review on Common Tread, about my experience. Needless to say, I LOVED IT.

Riding in the dirt was always on my bucket list, and in my future. I guess I was just buying my time or something.

Well the time is now, because at the end of July I’m doing a 1 week guided tour with the amazing Pat Jacques of ADVWoman.com!

I’m going to be riding on the Backcountry Discovery Route in Colorado with her and an awesome group of women adventure riders. One of those women is my new bff BJ Hessler, founder of DC Dirt Camp where I trained recently. For the Adventure class, I rode a Yamaha XT250, courtesy of my friend Marjorie (bless you!). Which is so perfect because I’m going to be riding one for the trip as well. It’s fate.

Me, on my friend’s XT250, affectionately nicknamed Jaxson.

So getting ready for such an incredible adventure, I decided to just gear up for it almost like I was going on the trip now. I decided to go all out with the following. Here are some thoughts on each piece that I ended up getting:

Shoei VFX-Evo Helmet $539, XS and 100% Armega Goggles with HiPer Lens $120

The main reason I chose this is because Shoeis fit my so very well. I did try the Bell Moto Flex 9 Carbon but the sizing isn’t quite perfect, since I have to choose Small. I’m always a Shoei XS but this one is too tight for me to get my head in so I did a SM. It already felt broken in so that’s why I went for the Shoei which felt perfectly tight and ready to break in. I’m so glad I did because it was a perfect fit.

The reason I didn’t choose a dual sport helmet is because i wanted the lighter weight and increased ventilation of the VFX-Evo that Shoei’s Hornet-X2 (which you can practically convert to 2XS as well with this liner) dual sport doesn’t offer.

I have a very intermediate oval head, veering close to the long oval spectrum. I find that the vast majority of helmets don’t hug the base of my skull in the back as much as I’d like to, and they end up being a little too wide from ear to ear in the back. If you need a 2XS offroad race helmet then you can also buy the SM 17MM liner and convert it almost to an 2XS. The Bell Moto Flex 9 in XS is probably the closest fit to a 2XS as well.

I know what you’re thinking about these goggles. Yes, they’re insanely expensive for goggles. But, omg, they are so insanely comfortable and ventilated. The lenses are optically correct and the closest fo a mini faceshield you can get. That means, virtually zero distortion and makes it feel as if you’re looking through a car windshield. I also have terrible vision at distance (even with contacts), and I have to wear special glasses (when wearing contacts) to help me literally see straight.

I don’t know what it was, but I didn’t feel the need to wear my glasses until the end of the day. I was able to squeeze them into the goggles since I have a small face, but I imagine if you have bigger glasses it might be hard to do that. Needless to say I didn’t feel a thing all day, and the helmet + goggles were venting like crazy.

Also, the BDR in Colorado is going to be HOT. So I absolutely felt the need to invest in the most ventilated helmet + goggle pairing to be as comfortable as possible for this trip.

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Fox FlexAir Mens Pyre Jersey ($80)+ Pant ($220)

My measurements: 5’2”, 37” Bust, 33-34” Waist, 37” Hips, 28.5” inseam.

OMG. I know what you’re thinking, $300 for dirt gear? Well okay, listen, I am who I am. So I naturally gravitate (in all aspects of life) to the finer things. But because of my friend Ryan (ALL YOUR FAULT), he showed this outfit to me and then I just had to have it. You know when you find that perfect pair of shoes? THE wedding dress you want to wear? THE perfect motorcycle for you? It was basically like all those things.

Okay, the reality is its just like other jersey sets, except for the awesome colorways. (HELLO FOX RACING, quit with the basic black/pink/blue/white colors and give US THE COOL SH*T.)

I’m fortunate? enough to have a small men’s body, except that I have a waist like a squashed pumpkin. I have no torso, so every men’s small shirt is a bit long, and that’s why it’s folded up in the second photo.

So it fit me perfectly given my measurements, and that I have a slightly longer inseam than other gals who are my height. You might be wondering why this suit is so expensive. I think it really comes down to these pants. They’re incredibly stretchy and lightweight. Especially around the knees/legs where you’re constantly bending and moving. The shirt is essentially a mesh shirt, completely and fully meshed so when it’s 100F in July in Colorado I’ll be uber comfy.

But I guess I have to summarize the overall fitment of this Fox set as Slim/Straight. So if you’re a guy shopping for this outfit, think about your preference for slim fit shirts and size yourself up and down accordingly, especially to fit your armor underneath.

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Leatt 3DF Youth Airflite Lite Body Protector $199 and Leatt 3DF 5.0 Impact Shorts $109

So underneath it all I’m wearing this armored shirt. It’s a Youth LG/XL. Because well, I’m short and small enough to wear young men’s clothes apparently.

But there is an adult men’s version here.

Something that’s nearly impossible to find is a women’s specific, armored dirt shirt. There’s only one decent option from Alpinestars.

It’s out of stock, and I honestly wasn’t a fan. I wanted the softer armor for comfort and youth options are a perfect alternate for someone my size. I also wanted something to fit comfortably underneath my jersey and this was a perfect combination.

Something that is desperately needed is better options for women’s offroad, armored shirt and shorts. There’s a ton of options for youth and mens. Who else do they think is taking the kids to dirtbike camps and dirt riding? JUST the men? No. More often than not, Mom is the one approving such activities and very most likely co-leading the way (and approving such purchases while she manages the household finances).

It’s an incredibly challenging fitment, so I applaud the courageous brand who decides to try and put forth an option in the near future. (Klim, Leatt, please help us!)

There are a few other options that could’ve worked from Knox’s womens apparel line, but I nothing dirt specific, so I decided to go this route.

The Leatt shirt is so very light, it’s 100% meant to wear underneath a dirt jersey, not meant to be worn alone, and also mean for the dirt. It’s as light as possibly, fully meshed, even with cutouts in the armpits and along the forearm. The Knox choices offer more coverage and are designed moreso for street riding. I wanted the lightest choice I could get so that’s also why I chose this Leatt. Oh and because I have such a short waist, I wanted something that barely covered my waist since I was also wearing armored shorts.

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TCX Michelin Comp Evo 2 Boots $499

Thinking about all the gear, boots were my main concern. I have pretty small, wide feet; US 7, Euro 37/38. I also didn’t want to wear basic dirt boots, because I wanted something that would be protective enough for the BDR trip that is going to be predominantly offroad. I just knew that spending that much time on the dirt for me would have to mean a dirt specific boot rather than a dual sport. I wasn’t sure if I’d be too uncomfortable off the bike, but after spending two days on and off the bike in these boots, I know that I’m going to be fine.

Learning in a pair of boots like these that offer complete lateral support, rigidity and stiffness throughout the soles made both of my days extremely successful. I felt like someone was literally holding me up as I stood on the pegs. The soles were grippy, snug and felt glued to the footpegs. It felt easy to shift my weight side to side, brake and shift after figuring out the right standing positions.

The only challenge I had was room. My ankles and feet are small, so the ankle space was very very wide. Luckily, I have the inserts I use in my track boots and I simply filled them up. I also added an additional heel insert like this to give me even more height! That essentially put me on the balls of my feet rather than tiptoe, which was perfect.

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Fly Racing Dirt Pro Lite Womens Gloves, Sale $25.46

These are very simple dirt gloves, nothing that offers any type of protection for the street. I just needed something simple that was lightweight and had good dexterity since the weather was mild and we weren’t doing any street riding whatsoever.

For the BDR Trip, I’m definitely going to wear something that’s dual sport oriented like these gloves which offer a little more street protection on the palms rather than a lighter dirt only type of protection:

• Revit Sand 4 Womens Gloves: I tried these on, unfortunately I was between XS and SM because my hands have slightly short fingers and are wider in the palms. So XS is too tight but SM is too loose in the palms. For this reason, I don’t think I can do them. What I loved about them is the stitching is external so you don’t feel the stitches along the fingers. I also like the soft armor, so it doesn’t get in the way of the hand controls when you’re standing up.

• Held Desert Womens Gloves: I haven’t tried these on, but Held gloves fit me really well because they’re a slight in between fit with Rev’it. I’m thinking of getting size 7s. They tend to have minimal stitching inside their gloves, so I’m seriously considering these as an option. Kangaroo leather palms also mean incredible dexterity. I’m a little concerned about the knuckles being too bulky though.

• Revit Striker Womens Gloves: These are great in XS; lightweight, stretchy and pretty comfortable but feeling the stitching along the fingers is driving me crazy. The knuckles on these are soft and squishy, so I don’t anticipate them being an issue.

Ahhh I’m still not sure what I’m going to do as far as gloves! LOL. I only know that I don’t want just dirt gloves, I want more protection for my hands, but finding the right fit is always a challenge.

Lastly,

I’M MOVING TO DENVER

Opportunities have presented themselves and I’ll be starting a new adventure in the Fall with RevZilla. Stay Tuned for updates, but as of July 5th I should be in downtown Denver.

Find me on social media (@gearchic) if you want updates!

Riding with CLASS Motorcycle School at Virginia International Raceway

Nope, we didn’t crash and have to get our bikes towed! (Kendon Motorcycle Trailer)

Not Just Your Average Monday.

Earlier this week I had the honor of attending back to back track days with my friends at Reg Pridmore’s CLASS Motorcycle School.

I attended a special, unique event earlier in April just for women riders but this one was one of their regular 2 day events at VIRginia International Raceway in Alton, VA. My husband and I loaded up our bikes on the RevZilla Trailer (#IloveMyJob) and drove out Sunday, October 14th.

Here I am dancing with our bikes?

We rented one of the fancy garages at the track and made our home for the next 2 days.

By the way, we didn’t bring half the stuff most people bring with them to the track. Everyone will tell you something different, but I can tell you that you’ll probably use half of what you actually bring. So this is our simplified list in order of importance:

1. Our track gear (duh!); suits, helmets, gloves, boots, back protectors

2. Our bikes and keys

3. Painters tape and duct tape (painters tape goes first, then duct tape. You’ll see why in a minute)

4. Clean clothes for 3 nights since we left Sunday and got back Wednesday

5. Chairs (because standing around all the time is tiring)

6. Tool box (we have this one from Sonic). Of course we didn’t use everything but it does have some nice moto specific tools that can come in handy. I mainly used the tools to remove my mirrors, reinstall them afterwards and tighten up some loose ends.

7. Cleaners, paper towels:

   1. Mucoff products: dry chain lube & degreaser, protectant, goggle/faceshield cleaner

   2. Simple Green; general, all purpose cleaner

8. Tire compressor (so you can adjust your tire pressure below street levels. I drop mine to 28 front and rear for a little more stick)

9. Tie downs to tie the bikes down to the trailer

10. A few snacks/drinks

Oh and did I mention that because we went to the South Course on Day 1 (not North as planned), we had to leave our cozy paddock behind! So we managed all day without anything with us, and relied on track friends to help us out.

In retrospect I could’ve used extra fuel, but there was a Sunoco station on site, just on the other side of the parking lot. This was the first track day where my fuel light actually went on at the end of the last session!

We got in Sunday night a little late but stayed up to tape up our headlights and turn signals. You didn’t have to take your mirrors if you didn’t want to but I found them distracting and they were easy enough to remove.

This is why you need duct tape and painters tape, so you can make eyes! Let’s just say my husband’s creativity inspired me. Remember to never directly apply duct tape to your lights and mirrors, you want to use painters tape first and then you can go crazy with funny colors and what not.

Although Hurricane Michael hit the weekend before, we had the privilege of riding both courses at VIR; both the North and South Courses. Originally we were only supposed to ride the North Course but it just worked out that we were able to do South on Day 1 and North on Day 2.

The South Course was a shorter, slower paced track. The upside to this is that I got to do more laps than I normally would have. The schedule for CLASS was a little different than track days I’ve done in the past with other organizations.

As with every track day, the day started first thing (7:30am-8:00am) with Check In and Tech Inspection followed by a safety meeting where rules and information for the day was presented and shared by Reg’s team.

These rules were imposed on both groups, regardless of experience level or training so you know that everyone is on the same page and things will go as safely as possible.

Reg also impressed upon us a few other thoughts that he truly believed were important to our time at VIR for the next 2 days. I find these messages are important, not only for the track but for the street too:

1. Slowing down, maintaining control

2. Courtesy and consideration

3. Learning not speeding

I can feel the instructor’s (orange shirt) eyes on the back of my head watching my pitiful form.

I found this message to be comforting, empowering and set a positive tone for the riding ahead. One of the many personal rules I have about riding motorcycles is not riding in large groups of strangers (outside the confines of an organized, training ride with a dedicated riding organization e.g. large public rallies and parades. It simply makes me nervous because out on the street, the training and riding environment is vastly different. When a group of riders are at the track together, we’re generally on the same page. We know we’ve come here because we know it’s safer, and our environment is controlled and organized in a way that cannot be matched to a track day. I always feel 100% safer on the track than I do on the street.

As the day went on, I found myself finally figuring out this track and feeling the most confident at of course, the last lap. It took me all morning and afternoon to get my lines just right.

And as much as I wanted to get my knee down, I decided to shift my focus on hitting my apexes just right and keeping my line tight, not wide because on the street that can be a very dangerous outcome. (Imagine going wide on a 2 lane, 2 way road over the double yellows!) I finally started feeling more confident to take my lines tighter and get over my fear of going wide.  

Trying my best to hug those apexes and keep a tight, inside line per the Mantra of Reg Pridmore.

There were only two groups, A and B. A was for Advanced Pace and B was for Relaxed Pace. I started out in A the first day on the South Course. Although I did fine in that group I wasn’t feeling comfortable with the pace of the other rides so halfway through day 2, I opted to ride in Group B. The group was smaller, so more room and more laps! I hardly ran into any traffic and it felt like I had the track to myself. I also had lots of opportunities for coaches to follow me and for me to follow them. Pretty much every session, there was a coach available if I needed help.

There was also a small Triumph contingent, which was also comforting.

You might be able to see in the background, that there were quite a few non traditional sportbikes that attended too!

And yep, they also fully attended both days. SEEE?? Track Days aren’t just for Sportbikes!

It’s for everyone, anyone. It’s all about finding the right one for you, and contacting local track schools to see if their program fits in with your goals and objectives as a rider. I have a list on my website here, of advanced, nontraditional track day training around the country that I highly recommend.

http://www.gearchic.com/beyond-basic-training/

But if you do some searching online I’m sure you’ll find local schools that will be more than happy to provide you advanced street training on the racetrack.

Or, sign up for a class with Reg and Gigi and tell them I sent you!

For more information on CLASS Motorcycle Schools including dates and prices, visit their website: ClassRides.com. You can also find them on Facebook and Instagram.

Shoutout to Shoei Helmets and Honda for sponsoring CLASS and making sure that the instructors have the best helmets and bikes as well.

My Gear:

1. Helmet: Bell Race Star, Ace Cafe

2. Suit: Alpinestars Womens Motegi V1 Race Suit (new version)

3. Gloves: Racer High Racer Womens Gloves

4. Boots: Dainese Womens Torque Out D1 Boots

5. Back Protector: Alpinestars Nucleon KR-1, SM

And in case the men out there are wondering about my husband’s gear:

1. Helmet: Bell Star Helmet (Pre 2015)

2. Suit: Revit Venom Suit

3. Gloves: Held Evo Thrux

4. Boots: Dainese Torque Out D1 Mens Boots (same as mine)

5. Back Protector: Alpinestars KR Adventure; he said it was more comfortable than the model I have

How Confidence Affects Women and Motorcycling

Me, feeling supremely confident on my '12 Street Triple R. But it wasn't always that way.

Learning to ride a motorcycle is certainly about confidence. The majority of mine came from learning to ride the right bikes and increasing my skillset dramatically from bike to bike.

But there was always a small chunk of it that came from me telling myself that I could and "eff it". If something happens, I'll deal with it or call for help or whatever. I'm not going to be afraid of it anymore.

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/05/the-confidence-gap/359815/

But keep in mind, that absolutely has to be within reason like when I decided to take the Ninja 250 to work instead of my scooter. I just went the 40 minute route to work (avoiding busy thoroughfares like Van Ness Avenue and Steep ass hills like Gough Street). I had already been commuting on my scooter to work for a year. This wasn't a huge jump from what I had already been doing. It was totally realistic given my experience and what I had been doing previously.

Me in 2006 on my first "long" ride outside of San Francisco to Half Moon Bay, a whopping 50 minutes one way!

This article says what I've witnessed and experienced personally in my 15 years of riding and helping other women learn to ride and talking to them about riding. And certainly my work life too. Why aren't we as confident from the get go? What is it about many of us (not all, I know, but more than most I'm sure) that holds us back from succeeding other than some of the most common mistakes new riders make ?

When all of our ducks are in a row, we still feel like we don't deserve it or are that good. I still feel like I'm terrible at riding at times. I'm terrible at nailing my lines every time I go riding, I'm terrible at braking. I'm terrible at cornering. I mean, okay I'm not horrific in that I crash every time I ride, but when I do go out I'm constantly critiquing myself and trying to figure out what I could've done better to take that particular corner better/faster/smoother. Is that just a regular aspect of riding? I'm guessing many of my male readers are going to argue that "of course, I think that too".

But how many of you think that way in your everyday life as many women have experienced per this article?

Riding as many of us know is 90% mental, 10% physical (that's why YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE ABLE TO PICK UP YOUR MOTORCYCLE to ride it).

I recently joined this cool interactive panel of my fellow women riders about how we got into riding and some of the barriers we ran into along the way. There are some really great tips and advice here that I think many of you can relate to:

https://www.cake.co/conversations/HKn99Mb/a-panel-of-women-who-motorcycle-what-it-s-like-in-a-sport-with-a-bad-boy-vibe

So if something is holding you back, what do you think that is?